Tokyo stocks fell sharply for a fourth straight session on the morning of the 13th, with selling in AI-related stocks standing out. The report covers movements in the Nikkei and TOPIX, focusing on the morning close and the opening moves.
The Nikkei Stock Average stood at ¥67,292.39 at the morning close, down ¥1,738.53 from the previous session, extending its sharp consecutive decline. The Tokyo Stock Exchange Stock Price Index (TOPIX) fell 18.90 points to 4,085.91. Semiconductor-related stocks declined in the previous day's U.S. market amid concerns about intensifying competition in semiconductor memory, and large-cap semiconductor and AI-related stocks were sold, weighing on the stock indexes.
At 10:08 a.m., the Nikkei was temporarily down more than ¥1,600 from the previous Friday, with its decline widening to the mid-¥67,000 range. AI-related stocks including Advantest and SoftBank Group ranked among the largest negative contributors to the Nikkei.
Meanwhile, financial, auto and other non-AI-related sectors attracted buying, limiting TOPIX's decline to around 0.4%. Market participants suggested that buying may have been prompted by a rebound from the decline in the latter half of the previous week. The morning session opened with the Nikkei down ¥466.07 at ¥68,564.85, extending its decline, as selling in semiconductor-related stocks led the market following developments in the U.S. market.